


Broken

by ChokolatteJedi



Category: House M.D.
Genre: Disabled Character, Episode Tag, Episode: s02e16 Safe, Gen, Hurt, Injury, Medical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-07-29
Updated: 2008-07-29
Packaged: 2017-10-15 00:01:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/154921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/ChokolatteJedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wilson goes too far</p>
            </blockquote>





	Broken

Greg smiled up at his best friend and made some sarcastic comment. He didn't even hear the words leaving his mouth over the sound of the blood pounding in his veins and the agonized yells pouring through his mind. He was only smiling on the outside.

Inside he was a storm of emotions: anger, hurt, betrayal, fear, shame, doubt, loneliness, confusion, embarrassment, pride, loathing, guilt, pain, and in one tiny corner, amusement. James had raised the stakes.

He had elevated their game past the point of harmless pranks all the way to potentially dangerous situations. Greg had a sudden flash of himself- of the way he had been sliding on the icy ramp yesterday- and he shuddered. If he had been playing around like that this morning, he could have done worse than just bruise and wrench his leg and hip. He could have broken something else.

Realizing that James had already left him- abandoned him on the hallway floor, Greg slowly pulled himself to his feet, grimacing for the benefit of the nurses who were watching cautiously. He had long ago learned to mask his pain, but it was simpler sometimes to let it show. Slowly, trying not to jostle himself, Greg picked up the pieces of his cane and then hopped over to one of the many wheelchairs that always sat abandoned in the hallways. He had yelled about them before, about how they were a tripping hazard, but today he was grateful for them.

As Greg slowly wheeled himself down the hall, dodging obstacles by instinct, he began to plan his revenge.

A little cast plaster and some bandages later, and House's cane was serviceable again, at least for a day or so. He would have to buy a new one soon, but the cane shop that he preferred wasn't open this late.

That evening, he made sure to emphasize his reactions whenever his bruised leg twinged. He resisted the urge to ham it up, and kept his pain subtle, but James noticed. He could tell by the way that the other man sank further and further into the couch as the night went on, by the way that he shifted every time House winced.

At last, before James could complain that he had to get up early, to blow dry his hair, Greg announced that he was going to bed- almost an hour early. He made a minor fuss about standing and checking his balance before starting to limp off to his room. As he rounded the couch, he deliberately bumped into the end table and swore.

James was on his feet immediately, asking if he needed help. He was close to apologizing- so close- but Greg knew that if he gave in now he would lose the game. So instead he replied with a haughty sneer, "I can navigate around my own house perfectly well, thank you very much! If certain people didn't deliberately try to trip me by- by moving things, then I wouldn't hurt at all!" he snapped.

Wilson's mouth shut with an audible click, and without another word he sat back down on the couch, clearly furious. House hobbled back to his bedroom, grumbling under his breath the whole way. James was pissed, again, but while he lay on Greg's lumpy couch trying to get comfortable enough to fall asleep, he would remember. He would remember the winces. He would remember the extra Vicodin. He would remember the exact way that Greg had phrased his response. He would remember the slightest pause in Greg's snapped insult.

And by morning, he would be remorseful. He would be broken.

 

Because he had broken one of the cardinal rules of their game: he had gone for the leg.


End file.
